Tag: recipe

On our radar: Sugarologie’s Cakeculator

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Adriana | Sugarologie (@sugarologie101)

Sugarologie’s Cakeculator is simply the best thing invented since sliced bread! Adriana, the whizz behind the Cakeculator, takes a very scientific (but easy to understand) approach to the recipes that she shares; she has a PhD in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology!

I often come across a cake recipe online or in one of my vintage cook books where the number of portions it makes is just too many. Usually when I bake, it’s only for Justin and me. A cake where you get 8 portions will last us four days… that’s if we want a slice on that many consecutive days. Most cakes will start tasting a bit stale after a few days too.

The simple drop-down menus on Sugarologie’s Cakeculator automatically works out recipe quantities. Simply choose the size of cake tin; e.g. 6-ince round (and the number of layers you want to make) or 1 dozen cupcakes. In addition to the tin option, you select the flavour of cake you plan on making; for instance, red velvet or chocolate. After this, you decide on the type of frosting; there are various types of buttercreams, meringues, cream cheese, whipped creams. Finally, click on the submit button and your chosen recipe with the correct amount of ingredients pops up as if by magic.

There’s no time spent having to do your own workings out, and there’s no waste… or panic when you realise that you haven’t made enough mixture!

Damson jam

Jars of homemade damson jam

We moved into our little Welsh cottage at the beginning of August in 2019 (just before any of us had ever heard the word ‘Coronavirus’). Less than 2 months later, we discovered that we have a damson tree in the garden that was plentiful with fruit ready to be picked.

Unfortunately, our range cooker was yet to be installed, so we had no way of cooking them; wed were preparing all our meals in a 2nd hand microwave that we brought with us from Yorkshire. We told one of our new neighbours to come over and pick as many as they could take away with them – there were many kilos. We were soon duly rewarded with a few jars of delicious, homemade damson jam – not a bad swap, we thought!

Small trug of damsons picked from trees in our garden

The next three summers saw not a single damson fruit on our tree, we thought it was dying. When September 2023 arrived, we managed to harvest about half a kilo… and discovered another young damson tree in one of our hedges. We picked about ¾ of a kilo in total.

Small trug of damsons picked from trees in our garden

I found a Damson jam recipe on the BBC website; however, looking at the comments, many people that followed it reported that there was way too much sugar stated (which was a weight ratio of 1-1 fruit to granulated sugar).

I left the fruit stones in the jam when I decanted it into the jars – I’m not fussy, and I know to look out for them when putting it on toast and in sandwiches. If you’d prefer to make jam without stones, you can remove them before cooking or by putting the just-cooked jam through a sieve before decanting.

Personally, I don’t mind a few stones in my jam jars. De-stoning the fruit is before cooking is time-consuming (especially if you’re preparing many kilos). Alternatively, sieving it while it’s still piping hot can be dangerous.

Jars of homemade damson jam

Damson jam

Print recipe Pin recipe
Course Condiment
Cuisine British
Servings 4 jars

Ingredients
  

  • 750 g damsons halved, stones left in
  • 500 g granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • Wash jars & lids in hot, soapy water, rinse, then place on a baking tray and put in a low oven for 10 mins or until completely dry. If you're using rubber/plastic seals, remove the seals and cover in just-boiled water. Ensure you also sterilise any funnels, ladles and spoons that you’ll be using.
  • Put the halved damsons into a jam pan or a large, wide, heavy-based saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to stop any skin sticking to the bottom. Put a couple of saucers into the freezer. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the fruit has softened.
  • Add the sugar and stir over a very low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, up to 10 mins. This step is vital; if you don’t dissolve the sugar, the bottom of the pan may catch and burn and affect the final taste of the jam. Raise the heat, bring to a full rolling boil, then rapidly boil for 10 minutes. Don’t stir until the setting point of 105ºC is reached. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the jam by spooning a little onto a cold saucer (that you've put in the freezer). Wait a few seconds, then push the jam with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, the jam is ready. If not, cook for a few more minutes and test again, with another cold saucer. Once you've reached the 105ºC or setting point, stir the jam thoroughly.
  • Remove from the heat, skim off any excess scum. Leave for about 15 minutes to allow the fruit to settle; if you decant the jam too soon, all the fruit will sink to the bottom. Pour into the sterilised jars, label and seal.
 
I left the fruit stones in the jam when I decanted it into the jars. If you'd prefer to have jam without stones, you can remove them before cooking or by putting the just cooked jam through a sieve before decanting.
Personally, I don't mind a few stones in my jars. De-stoning the fruit is before cooking is time-consuming (especially if you're preparing many kilos). Alternatively, sieving it while still piping hot can be dangerous.
Keyword damsons, jam, preserves

Our week that was: Gooseberries, a group visit, germs and a gilet

Our week that was blog post banner

OK, enough already with the alliteration. We promise, we won’t do it again!

Before you read on, one of the other little things we did this week – along with what seems like half the world’s population – was to join Threads. We’ve not got our heads round the app yet, and we’re not sure how much use we’ll make of it… but go give us a follow if you’ve joined too.

Home-grown fruit

Bowl of home-grown gooseberries

I’ve been trying to work out my optimum gooseberry-harvesting timing – don’t pick them before they’re ripe, but don’t allow the birds to get there before me. One of our bushes was completely devoured by sawfly larvae and it produced no fruit. But another was heavily weighed down with an abundance of large, bright green gooseberries.

Gooseberry compote Gooseberry sponge pudding

I held off for as long as I dared before picking just under 500 grams, about half of the crop. Justin doesn’t like them, so I had to find things to do with it where it wouldn’t go to waste. I made jam and pickle last year, and still have jars of both left in the pantry. I decided to use the majority to make (almost) a large jar of compote and the remainder in a fruit sponge. The compote will be swirled into my morning yoghurt and the sponge – with a pouring of thick cream – made two portions of delicious dessert for me!

The Catholic Church at Henllan

Interior of the Italian Catholic Church at the prisoner-of-war camp, Henllan

Last weekend, I went on a coach trip with my local WI group to visit the prisoner-of-war camp at Henllan. After a quick stop for coffee and scone at the nearby Teifi Valley Railway, we made our way to the prisoner-of-war camp, specifically to see the fascinating Church of the Sacred Heart located there.

Exterior of the Italian Catholic Church at the prisoner-of-war camp, Henllan Exterior of the Italian Catholic Church at the prisoner-of-war camp, Henllan

Created by the Italian WWII prisoners who were housed there, the church is testament to what can be achieved with a lot of determination and very little else. The men were given permission to use one of the accommodation huts as a place of worship.

Faux marble column capital in the Italian Catholic Church at the prisoner-of-war camp, Henllan Faux marble column capital in the Italian Catholic Church at the prisoner-of-war camp, Henllan

What’s amazing is the way in which the space was decorated to make it look and feel less like a pre-fab box and more like a chapel. The ‘stone’ columns and scroll-work capitals pictured above were made using thin bits of metal (used corned beef tins), painted to look like marble.

All the murals and frescos were created using paints made from tea leaves, coffee grounds and vegetable peelings mixed with crushed fish bones… and they remain vibrant and intact over 75 years later.

One of the Stations of the Cross in the Italian Catholic Church at the prisoner-of-war camp, Henllan One of the Stations of the Cross in the Italian Catholic Church at the prisoner-of-war camp, Henllan

After the war, many of the ex-prisoners made pilgrimages back to Henllan, often bringing items to leave in the church. The framed watercolours above are fine examples of these. They are two of 14 Stations of the Cross painted by Mario Ferlito – the original muralist – that now hang on the walls around the chapel.

A trip to the dentist

Cream Berghaus gilet Cream Berghaus gilet

We’ve lived in Mid-Wales for 4 years now and still haven’t been able to see a dentist in the area. We’re on a waiting list – at least we think we are – so, in the meantime, we have to travel back to Yorkshire for our 6-monthly check-ups or any other dental work that needs to be done. That’s an 8-hour round trip and an overnight stay with family… for about 10 minutes in the dentist’s chair!

We have a regular stop off point where we stretch our legs and give the dog (and ourselves) a comfort break. We’ve not long discovered a cracking charity shop nearby where we’ve always found something to buy. This trip, I bought this cream Berghaus gilet – that will come in useful as the autumn approaches.

Fever: The Hunt for Covid’s Origin

Fever

During our aforementioned car journeys, we listened to Fever: The Hunt for Covid’s Origin, a BBC Radio 4 podcast series. The programmes are presented by John Sudworth, the BBC’s Beijing Correspondent at the time of the Coronavirus outbreak. The series investigated the possible origins of Covid-19 via interviews with scientists and Sudworth’s own courageous investigations from within China with its highly authoritarian, one party state system.

Home-made elderflower curd

Elderflower curd with cup & pot of tea

My beautiful sambucus nigra is still blooming, so I was on the lookout for another recipe in which I could use the flowers. These days, I find so much inspiration on Instagram; one of my Insta-buddies had just posted a photo of some delicious-looking elderflower curd she’d made, so I thought I’d give that a go.

zesting and juicing lemons Elderflower curd ingredients in a saucepan

She used the wild variety of elderflower which has delicate off white flowers however, the flowers on mine are tinged purple. I wondered how that would affect the colour of the resulting curd. I was worried that it would turn out a sludgy brown, but I needn’t have been apprehensive. It had a slight pinkish blush to the usual yellow colour.

This recipe makes a single, average-sized jar, but you can easily multiply the quantities. If you don’t think that you’ll consume all the curd in a week or two, make sure that you thoroughly sterilise all your post-cooking equipment; jars, lids, jelly bag/sieve, spoon/spatula, funnel etc. Simply boil them up in a large jam pan/saucepan of water.

straining elderflower curd through a jelly bag into a measuring jug Elderflower curd in a glass jar

The taste was gorgeous; rich and fragrant. So far, we’ve had it on fruit scones, but it would be perfect in sandwiches, toast or between the layers of a Victoria sponge. This is definitely an elderflower recipe I’ll be returning to every summer.

Click here or on the image below to save this elderflower curd recipe to Pinterest

Home-made elderflower curd recipe

Elderflower curd with cup & pot of tea

Elderflower curd

Print recipe Pin recipe
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Condiment
Cuisine British

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large or 6 small elderflower heads you can use either white or pink flowers
  • 50 g/1¾oz unsalted butter
  • 200 g/7oz white granulated sugar
  • 1½ lemons zest & juice
  • 2 eggs

Instructions
 

  • Sterilise a lidded jam jar, jelly bag or sieve, spatula and measuring jug. Set aside for the end
  • Put all the ingredients except the eggs into a saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved
  • Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and allow the contents to cool slightly (about 5 minutes)
  • In the meantime, bring a saucepan of water to a simmer (ensure the heatproof bowl can sit on top of the saucepan without the water coming into contact with the base)
  • Add the eggs to the mixture and put the heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan of simmering water
  • Stir occasionally until the mixture thickens to the consistency of custard (about 45 minutes)
  • Pour the mixture through the sterilised jelly bag/sieve into the measuring jug. Push the contents through using the spatula, if necessary
  • Transfer the curd into the sterilised jar and cover immediately with the lid. Allow to cool completely before using
Elderflower curd ingredients
Keyword curd, elderflower, forage